Liquid control valve



March 4, 1941.

G. J. KO EHLER 2,233,840

LIQUID CONTROL VALVE Filed Jan. 29, 1940 V Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Q 2,233,840 I LIQUID CONTROL VALVE Gustave J. Koehler, Dayton, Ohio Application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,123

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid control valves and is particularly directed to a novel device for lifting the valve member off I of the valve seat to ease the turning of said valve member.

Valves used for controlling the flow of liquid fuel from a supply source, such as the tanks of an air or land vehicle, to a demand source, such as the engine of an air or land vehicle, for example, require extreme pressure on the valve members or plugs to retain said plugs in firm contact with the valve seats to prevent leakage of,

the highly volatile and inflammable fuel to eliminate the hazards attendant therewith.

This extreme pressure on the valve member has a tendency to make said valve member hard-to turn, and it is broadly an object of this invention to provide means to relieve this pressure during the turning of the valve member so that said valve member may be turned with case from one adapted to lift the valve member a slight distance off of its seat, upon operation of the operating means, to ease the turning of saidvalve member.

With these and incidental other objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the liquid control valve of this invention, taken along line -I-I (Fig. 2) looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the control valve.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 (Fig. 2) looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing the valve lifting roller and its associated cam member.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 (Fig. 2) looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing in detail the valve lifting mech- 5 anism.

' 2| to the body portion I 0 and a gasket 24, interposed between said cover and said body portion,

Description bered I, 2 and 3 respectiyely, connected by their 0 respective tubes I2 to three liquid supply sources, such as the fuel tanks of an air, or land vehicle. The apex of the conical surface II terminates in an outlet port 13 connected by a tube I 4 to a liquid demand source, such as the internal combustion engine of an air'or land vehicle.

Around each inlet port is a boring I5 adapted to receive a bearing or sealing ring. I6 made of any suitable plastic material which may be molded or pressed into the borings I5 to form a valve seat. The outer walls of the borings I5 are angular, as shown in Fig. 1, to lock the plastic compound in said borings, and the inner walls of said borings I5, together with the inlet ports, formv annular rings I1 which assist in anchoring the plastic seats in place and eliminate any possibility of small fragments of said plastic seats breaking off and interfering with operation of the valve or clogging the fuel line.

The plastic sealing rings I6 formed around each 30 inlet port, extend a slight distance above the conical surface I I and are adapted to be engaged by the outer surface of a frustro-conical head I! of a male valve member or plug made prefer ably of some non-corrodible material. The apex 35 of the head I8 is integral with a tubular stem I8; and a brace member 20, secured between the head I8 and the stem I9, prevents distortion of said headwith relation to said stem.

' The upper end of the hollow stem I9 is journaled in a boring in a cover plate 2| having a tenon 22 thereon which engages a boring in the body portion, said boring being concentric with the surface II. Six screws 23 secure the cover prevent leakage of fuel therebetween. I

, The boring in the cover 2|, for the stem I 9, is enlarged at its upper end to receive a packing medium 25 whichsnugly encircles the outer sur'- o face of said hollow stem I9. A spring 26, compressed between a shouldered washer 21, which engages the packing medium 25, and a locating plate 28, causes the angular bottom of the enlarged boring to wedge the packing medium against the stem l3 -to form a leak-proof seal.- The plate 23 is secured by screws 23 to four upwardly extending posts 33 of the cover plate 2|.

Fitting loosely around the outside diameter of the hollow stem I3 is a comparatively strong compressible spring 3|, the lower end of which engages a depression in the brace-plate 23 .and the upper end of which engages a shouldered washer 32 free'around the tubular stem i3, said washer in turn engaging the bottom portion of a ball thrust bearing 33 which is interposed between said washer and the cover 2|. The spring 3| is compressed by the cover 2| to force the outer surface of the conical head |3- into engagement with the plastic valve seat rings l3, and said spring .provides sufllcient pressure between said plastic seatsand the valve head to prevent the leakage of liquid therebetween. The ball bearing 33 relieves the friction between the spring 3| and the cover plate 2|, thereby making for easy operation of the valve. The lower end of the hollow stem 13 journals in the outlet boring i3 which bo'ring is in axial alignment yith the boring for the upper end of said stem in the cover A hole 34 in the conical head I3 is adapted to be brought into register with the 3 inlet ports upon rotation of the male valve member to permit the fuel to flow from the selected one of the supply tanks into a chamber formed by the hollow interior portion of the frustro-conical head l3, the boring 'II and the cover plate 2|. From this chamber the fuel flows through a plurality of holes 33 in the hollow stem l3 into the interior of said stem, and from thence out the out let port l3 and through the tubing M to the fuel demand source. cured in the upper end of the stem I3, closes the upper end of said stem to the flow of fuel, thereby causing saidfuel to now out the bottom end of said tube into theoutlet port.

When the hole 34 is broughtinto register with any of the inlet ports the plastic ring l3 around the port also encircles said hole to form a leakproof seal, and at the same time the outer face of the conical head l3 in cooperation with the plastic rings around the other inletports likewise seals them against leakage.

, The spring 3| holds the outer surface of the conical head l3 against the plastic rings l3 with suflicient pressure to prevent leakage of liquid therebetween and the friction created in this manner-makes the valve comparatively hard to turn from one position to another, particularly when said valve has been standing in one position for a considerable length of time or has been allowed to dry out. In order to overcome this objectionable condition means, now to be de-' scribed, have been devised to lift the conical head l3 0!! of the plastic seats l3 during rotation of the valve member from one position to another.

The valve lifting means includes a roller 31 (Figs. 2 and 4) which fits freely in a hole in the upper end of the tube I3 and the plug 33, said .hole being enlarged at each end and tapered towards the center to relieve the friction between said hole and the roller 31. The outer ends of the largest diameter of the roller 31 are adapted to engage the angular faces of identical cam'-' ming surfaces 33 in depressions in a valve rotating and lifting member 33, said lifting member having identical clearance cuts 43 therein adjacent the camming surfaces 33, the outer walls of which cuts, in cooperation with the ends of similar tenons 4| on each end of the roller 31, main- A plug as (Figs. 1 and 4) seber 43 connected by a rod 41 to an operatin lever 43 which is conveniently located for manipulation by the operator of the vehicle. An indicating dial 43, concentric with the-rod 41 and stationary in relation thereto, in cooperation with the lever 43 provides means for determining the position of the hole 34 in the valve member l3 with respect to the inlet ports I, 2 and 3 and an of! position later to be described.

The lifting member 33 has four equally spaced angular locating notches 33 in the periphery thereof adapted to be engaged by the rounded noses of diametrically opposed locating plungers 50 3| free in borings incylindricalprojections of the locating plate 23.

Compressiblesprings 32 (Fig. 1) which fit in borings in the locating plungers 3|, are compressed between the bottoms of said borings and the bottoms of the borings in the projections of the plate 23 to maintain said plungers in yielding engagement with the notches 33 to locate the valve member l3 in'any of its various positions.

The indicating dial 43 has engraved on theface thereof the numerals I, 2 and 3 corresponding to a the three inlet ports and the word 0 engraved opposite the o position of the valve member, which position is likewise indicated by the word of! in Fig. 2.

When the valve is in "oi'l position, a plastic ring (not shown) similar to the rings l3 and sim-.'

ilarly retained in a boring in the conical surface seals the hole 34 against leakage and at the same time the outer surface of the conical head I3, in cooperation with the plastic rings l3 seals the inlet ports against leakage.

As here shown the operating lever 43 is in No. 1 position in which position .the opening 34 is opposite, the No. 1 inlet port, as shown in Fig. 1.

Turning the lever 43 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, causes the camming surfaces 33 on the lifting member 33, in cooperation with the roller", to

cam said roller upwardly, which in cooperation with the hole in the upper end of the stem 3 raises the conical head l3 upwardly against the action of the spring 3| to lift the outer surface of said head off of the plastic seats I3. During the lifting of the valve member the lifting member 33 turns independently thereof until the roller 31 engages the opposed vertical walls of the camming depressions 33, whereupon said roller forms an operating connection between the lifting member 33 and the stem I! to rotate the valve member l3. During this rotation of the lifting member 33, one set of the angular locating notches 33 therein rides of! of the rounded noses of the spring-pushed plungers 3|, causing said noses to bear upon the periphery of said lifting member 33 until the second set ofnotches in said member engage said plungers.

Continued rotation of the operating lever 43 to No.2 positioncauses the second set of notches 33 in the lifting member 33 to engage the plungers 3| to locate the hole 34 in the conical head l3 opposite the No. 2 inlet port. and after pressure is released on said lever 43 the camming action between the lifting member 33 and the roller 31 ceases, whereupon the spring 3| forces the outer face of the conical head I8 into firm contact with the plastic seats It to seal the valve against leakage. A ball thrust bearing 42 (Fig. 1) interposed between-the lifting member 38 and 5 the locating plate 2B, relieves the friction between said parts during the camming action between said lifting membertt and the roller 31 to further ease operation of the valve.

After the second supply source has been exl hausted, the lever 48 may again be operated to move the hole 34 in the conical head I 8 opposite the No. 3 inlet port to connect the third supply source to the source of demand. When the vehicle is not in use the lever 48 may be moved l5 to off position to shutoff all the inlet ports and thus terminate the flow of liquid to the demand source.

Summarizing briefly, the above specification discloses a novel mechanism for lifting the male member of a fuel valve off of its seat while said member is being turned from one position to another to ease the operation of said-fuel valve. While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within'the scope of-the claims which follow.

What is claimed is: 1. In a liquid control valve having 'a body portion with a valve seat therein, the combination of a valve member rotatable from one position to another; astem on the valve memberv having a transverse hole near the upper end thereof, said stem Journaled in the body portion; a spring to yieldingly retain the valve member in engagement with the seat to form a liquid seal 40 therebetween; means, including a notched disk with a hole therein which-hole fits loosely on the stem, to rotate the valve member from one position to another; means cooperating with the notches in the disk to locate the valve member in any of itspositions; camr'ning surfaces formed in depressionsin the disk; and a roller adapted to pass freely through the transverse hole in the stem and into the depressions to form-a lostmotion connection between the disk and the to stem so that movement of said disk to take up the lost motion will cause the camming surfaces, in

cooperation with the roller. to liftv the valve member of! of the seat to ease the turning thereof, whereupon, the walls of the depressionsss adjacent the camming surfaces terminate the lifting movement and cause the valve member to rotate in unison withthe disk.

2. In a liquid control valve having a body portion with a seat therein, the combinationof a m rotatable valve member cooperating with the seat, saidvalve member having a plurality of positions; a stem onthe valve member, said stem iournaled in the body portion and having a transverse hole at the upper end thereof, said 5 hole being enlarged at each end and tapered to-- wards. the center: a spring to yieldingly urge the valve member into engagement with the seat to form a liquid seal therebetween; an element for rotating the valve member from one position to another, said element having a boring which fits loosely on the upper end of the valve stem; cam- 5 ming surfaces formed in diametrically opposed depressions in the element; a roller adapted to fit loosely in the tapered hole in the stem, opposite ends of said roller adapted to extend within thedepressions and to cooperate with the cam- 10 ming surfaces to form an operating connection between the rotating element and the valve member, whereupon rotation of said'rotating element causes the camming surfaces in cooperation with the roller to counteract the action of the spring 15 and to lift the valve member off the valve seat preliminary to rotation of said member by said element, to ease the rotation-of said valve member, the tapered hole functioning to reduce the frictional drag on the roller to facilitate the 20 rolling and lifting action thereof 1 tenons formed on each end of the roller and cooperating with the outer walls of the depressions to retain the roller against lateral displacement; diametrically opposed locating notches in the rotating ele- 25 ment; and diametrically opposed spring plungers cooperating with the notches to assistthe valve member'to its various positions and to retain said member in said positions.

3. In a liquid control valve having a body 30 portion with a valve seat therein, the combination of a valve membercooperating with the seat to form a liquid seal, said member rotatable to 4 several positions; spring means to urge the valve member into yielding engagement with the valve 5 seat; a stem on the valve member, said stem journaled in the body portion and having a trans-. verse hole near the upper end thereof, said hole enlarged at each end and tapered towardsthe center; an element for rotating the valve mem- '40 her from one position to another, said element having a boring which loosely engages the upper end of the valvestem; diametrically opposed depressions in the element; a roller adapted to fit freely in the tapered hole in the valve stem, op- 5 posite ends of said roller arranged to extend within the depressions to form a lost-motion I operating connection between the rotating element and the valve member, to permit said element to be turned a slight distance independ- 60.

ently of said member; camming surfaces formed in the depressions and cooperating with the roller while the rotating element is being turned inde-. pendently of the valve member, to force said member upwardly against the action of the spring means to separate said member from the seat to ease the'tu'rning thereof, the tapered hole 

